Chapter Four

Cassian twirled a strand of his hair----which he had pulled out when he was playing with his hair----around his finger, then he pulled it gently and watched it recoil back.

"Do you really think an arranged marriage would help Sorin?" he asked as turned to Soteria who sighed and shrugged.

After Soteria and Noelle had had their argument, he had sent for Cassian who happened to be going to the market with Bithia, so he came as quickly as he could.

When they had arrived at the palace, Bithia had run off somewhere, while Cassian had made for the throne room, but then, the butler had told him that the king was in his study.

Cassian had found the study stuffy, so he had suggested that they go out to the balcony for air, and there, Soteria had told him his plans.

"Thurtian is undergoing a crisis presently, I do not think going to war would be the best course of action, so a marriage was inevitable. As a king, I put my nation's happiness before my son's, and hope that this political marriage would give him a sense of duty so that he may stop this childish nonsense of sulking, and who knows, he may find happiness in the marriage."

Cassian knew that the "childish nonsense" Soteria was talking about, also included believing Astraea was alive. It had been fifteen years since they last saw her. Soteria and Noelle wanted Sorin to move on and stop thinking about her.

Cassian smiled and looked at Soteria, "Normally, I would have countered your opinion, but you spoke like a king, and not a friend, and I do not think I should speak so casually to my king."

Soteria smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cassian?" they turned and saw Noelle walking towards them. "Your majesty," Cassian took her hand and bowed, then he pressed a kiss to it.

Soteria's eyes met Noelle's, but he immediately looked away. He felt guilty about their argument.

"How do you do?" she asked Cassian who nodded, "I am quite alright" "What about Zemira?" she asked and his face fell as he remembered the state he had left his wife; asleep with a bandaged wrist.

She had tried to grab one of the maids and instinctively, the maid had sliced her wrist. Cassian understood it was an accident, so he had pardoned and had treated his wife. She was really getting rougher.

A fake smile spread on his face, "She too is alright." Noelle knew the smile was fake and that Zemira was getting worse. She opened her arms for an embrace, and Cassian hugged her.

"Everything will be alright," she reassured him as she patted his back. He nodded and raised his head from her shoulder, "I should get going now" he bowed to the king and queen and was about, but then he stopped and turned back, "Would any of you know where Bithia may be?" he asked and Noelle rolled her eyes.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bithia's eyes roamed around the painting while Sorin stared at her in horror. She was not supposed to see that. No one was supposed to see that.

"I said get out!" he pushed her too hard and she fell down on the paint-covered floor, white paint staining her teal skirt and her hands, which she had use to balance herself on the floor.

Sorin frantically grabbed the white sheet and covered the painting, hurriedly.

Soft sobs escaped Bithia's mouth, "How did it all come to this?" He turned to her, "We were all so close, so how did it turn like this?" she sobbed uncontrollably.

He kept his hands at his sides and just watched her cry. He could not hold her even if he wanted, because he had done terrible things to her in the past.

"I...um...I am sorry, Miss Oprah, can you stand?" he asked, trying to sound formal. Her teary eyes moved to the painting he had covered, "It is a pretty painting, so why cover it?" she asked and he looked at the painting.

Noelle had made him promise that no one would see any of paintings and that he should always cover them after painting, so that Soteria would not throw a fit if he entered the room.

A lump formed in his throat as he explained, "It is a happy painting...I do not deserve to be happy, afterall that has happened."

"Do not act like you are the only one suffering," tears streamed down her face as she remembered Cassian breaking down.

She had not meant to see him, it was an accident. She had been going to see her grandmother, but she had seen Cassian slump to the floor, his hand on head, and tears rolling down his face as he lamented.

"The whole Monterey manor is in so much pain, but everyone is trying to get on by. I have not seen my father in a while because he is still out there, looking for her, my mother has so much weight on her shoulders because now she is the oldest maid and she has to take care of everyone because my grandmother..." her voice broke.

She started sobbing, "My...my grandmother...is sick, and what about Astraea's parents? When was the last time you saw Lady Zemira?"

Sorin felt ashamed of himself, he had not seen Zemira since the incident, and he had not heard his mother talk about her, and he knew they were good friends. Could she be...?

"Lord Cassian may be all smiles, but it is all fake...he lost his daughter, his wife is mentally unstable, and the woman he considers his mother, is sick. And what about me? I try to take everyone's mind off what has happened, but I am so sure that Lord Cassian's heart weeps everytime he sees me because I remind him of Astraea."

"I am sorry," Sorin said and she sniffled, "No, I am sorry, for making all of you go through this horrifying pain." "What do you mean?" he asked and tears started coming out of her eyes again, "It was my fault...I should have protected her."

"No, it is not your..." "Yes it is! How else would you explain everything that is happening to me? When people see me, all they see is Astraea. Lord Cassian, Lady Zemira, the maids, my grandmother...and even you" she raised her head at him, but he quickly looked away when their eyes had jammed.

She covered her mouth with her hand, to suppress her sobs, "You...you can not even look at me, or even say my name. You always call me Miss Oprah, why can you not call me Bithia?"

He sighed and slowly looked at her, but all he could see was tan skin instead of fair skin, grey eyes instead of blue eyes, kinky black hair instead of sandy blonde hair. All he could see was Astraea.

He bent his head, "I...can not." Her heart sank. Was this how it was going to be from now on?

More tears fell from her eyes, "I am so sorry" "Miss Oprah, it is not your fault" "Why do I feel like it is? Everyone is going through such a hard time all because, I was not there to protect her," she wept.

Bithia reminded Sorin of how he was...how he is. Always blaming himself for Astraea's disappearance and everything.

"Bithia..." his body moved and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, "It is not your fault."

Maybe that was what he wanted to hear while he repeatedly blamed himself. Someone to hold and whisper those words to him.

He called me by my name... tears welled up in her eyes.

"It is not your fault," he repeated as he gently stroked her hair. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely, as she held his arm, "It is not yours either," she whispered, but he did not hear her.

"It is no one's fault" he said, trying to reassure himself that it was not his fault too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Noelan panted. He had been running around looking for Bithia. He had even thought she had left, but then he had seen Cassian with his mother and father, and that meant she was still in the palace, somewhere.

Where could she be? he thought and saw the art room's door opened slightly. The sharp smell of linseed oil made him roll his eyes. He must be painting again, he thought and was about walking away, but then he saw teal fabric on the floor.

Bithia? he thought and opened the door and saw Bithia and Sorin holding each other.

It made him remember when his mother had given his favourite toy to his brother.

He clenched his fists in anger, he always gets it all, doesn't he? Whatever I want is never important. I bet mother has no problem with this. Glad to know that I ran up and about just to see her be comforted by her lover.

He turned and stormed off.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

At the crack of dawn, Sorin was ready to depart for Guire. Guire was two days journey on foot, one and half by carriage, but it could take lesser if movement starts early, that was why Sorin was moving so early.

"Do not forget to eat well," Noelle said as she tied Sorin's cravat. "Mother, I am not a child," he laughed and she smiled, "You will always be my little boy."

Sorin looked around for his brother, but did not see him, "Where is Noelan?" he asked and Noelle picked a strand of his golden brown hair, from his jacket, "Perhaps he is still asleep, it is quite early."

Sorin knew Noelan was always up at the crack of dawn to water the plants. Something was off. Normally, Noelan was always cold to everyone, even him, but yesterday, he seemed colder to him.

He walked to the carriage, and felt eyes on him. He turned around and saw his father watching him from his window.

He sighed and bowed and Soteria walked away from his window.

Noelle placed her hand on her son's shoulder, "Your father will come around, soon," she said and he nodded. "Go on! You have a long journey ahead of you" she smiled and he took her hands and pressed a kiss to the both of them, "See you soon mother," he said and entered the carriage, then it rolled away.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Whoa!" the rider drew the reins and the horses stopped. The prince's valet, Julian, turned his horse around and it jogged to the carriage, "Why are you stopping? We have to get to Guire on time!" "The prince ordered me to stop," the rider simply said and got off the seat.

The carriage door opened and Sorin hopped down. "Your highness, what are you doing? At this rate, we would not reach Guire before midnight!" Julian flared while Sorin gently stroked the bridge of his horse's nose, "The horses are tired."

"With all due respect your highness, that was the same thing you had said when we had stopped few minutes ago! The horses are refreshed, the soldiers, rider and footman are all refreshed, we must leave now if we want to make it to Guire on time."

Sorin sighed. He did not want to go to Guire, but he had no choice, he had to go, which was why he was trying to delay his arrival to Guire, but Julian was not having any of that.

Noelle had ordered him to make sure Sorin reached Guire before midnight, while Soteria had threatened him that nothing should go wrong with the marriage finalization, else his head would be in for it.

"Well, I am tired," Sorin yawned and Julian sighed exasperatedly, "You are being carried in a carriage that is being driven by another, you can even nod off in there if you want, so your highness, how are you tired?"

"I hate being in confined spaces," Sorin shrugged and sat on the grass. Julian looked around at the servants who were tending to the horses, then he sat on the grass, close to Sorin.

He watched the young prince weed out carpet grass. Maybe there is something bothering him, he thought and asked, "Is there something on your mind, your highness?" Sorin looked at him and then looked back at the grass and sighed.

There is something on his mind after all, Julian thought. "What is it? Come on, you can tell me, I will not report back to your parents," he said and Sorin looked at him with a raised brow, "Do you swear on your life?"

My life? Julian repeated and then remembered his conversation with the king;

"You are escorting the young prince to Guire tomorrow, at dawn, this would be your first time of doing your valet job, can you handle it?" Soteria asked as he polished his dagger.

Julian did not know he was shaking until he noticed his hand trembling. He caught it and bowed, "It is not a hard job, your majesty."

Soteria pointed the dagger at him and laughed when he noticed Julian trembling. He lowered it and continued polishing, "You are right, it is not a hard job. All you have to do is dress him, take care of his needs, oh and also ensure that this marriage finalization has no hitches."

"What do you mean by that, your majesty?" Julian asked and Soteria dropped his blade rather noisily. "My son does not want to get married. I want him to get married, and you will make sure of that."

"But...your majesty, I can not force his highness" "No, no, no! Do not think of it that way, think of it as...a job I gave you, with your other duties. Will you really abandon a job that I gave you?" Soteria raised a brow, condescendingly and Julian shook his head vigorously. Soteria smirked, "Good," he said and picked up a grape from his fruit bowl.

"What if he runs away?" Julian whimpered and Soteria smiled, "Then you run after him and drag him back to Guire, it really is that simple," he said and munched on a grape. "But..."

"Julian..." Soteria rose up from his seat and Julian immediately kept his eyes down, out of fear. Soteria picked up his dagger and sashayed to him as spoke, "If there is even the slightest obstruction in this little journey's plan, perhaps due to my son's foolishness or your incompetence..."

He leaned down to his ear and whispered, "...your head will be the first of my people, to be hung on my wall." Julian's body stilled, but he managed to turn his head to look at the king.

What he saw made him turn his head back, immediately.

Soteria's green eyes had darkened and he wore a sadistic grin on his face.

The saying was true; Sunshine sweethearts, indeed have the darkest minds.

His whole body started shaking as he was now aware that the king was looking at him like he was a prey, while he, the king, was the predator. He held his hands trying to stop himself from trembling, but to no avail.

Soteria eyes went down to Julian's hands and he smirked, then pulled himself back and gave a genuine smile, "Do you understand?"

Julian gulped nervously as he remembered the king's threat. A lot of people seem to be asking about my life these days, he thought.

"Well do you?" Sorin asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. He snapped his head and the prince and smiled, "Yes, I do." Sorin took his hand and placed it on his chest, "You have to say that you swear on your life, with your hand on your chest."

This brat will be the reason I will lose the life he so wants me to swear on, Julian thought in his head, but put on a smile, "I swear on my life that I will not tell your parents about what you are about to tell me."

Sorin stared at him for a while before he nodded, "Alright, I shall choose to trust you" "Thank you for blessing me with your trust, your highness," he said sarcastically as he bowed, but of course, Sorin did not catch the sarcasm in his voice.

"I do not want to get married." Julian rolled his eyes, tell me something I do not know. "What? Why?" "I do not love the woman they want me to get married to" "Love? You...you have to love the person you marry?" Julian asked and Sorin looked at him like he was stupid.

"Well, of course yes! How else would you and your spouse enjoy your marriage?" "Enjoy? Marriage?" Julian was so confused.

The word, enjoyment, was never used in a sentence with marriage. To him, they were two opposite words and using them together in a sentence was oxymoron. To the older generation, marriage was done solely for the purpose of reproduction, peace or business. Love was never one of the conditions.

"Well yes! You do not love your wife?" "I am not married, your highness," Julian simply answered and Sorin was shocked, "What? Why?" "As the crown prince's valet, I have duties that marriage may hinder, but that aside, you do not have to love your spouse, care and respect is all you need."

"I...Is that how marriage is done?" "Most marriages are arranged by the parents for profit, then rarely, the couple falls in love. The king and queen are part of the rare ones, but they only fell in love after marriage. Marry the Guire princess, and who knows? The both of you might just join the lucky few," Julian concluded and patted Sorin's shoulder.

He got up and dusted grass off his bottom, "Well, we await your orders, your highness" he bowed and walked away, but then he turned back to look at Sorin.

That ought to do it, hopefully he will give orders for us to continue the journey, I really do not want my head to serve as a decoration, he sighed.

Sorin got up and looked around, "Let us continue our journey!" he ordered and and entered the carriage, giving Julian, who had a proud smile on his face, a knowing glance.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"I know you do not want to marry the Guire princess, but do not show that to the king" Julian advised as he and Sorin walked down the golden hall of the palace of Guire.

Luckily for Julian, they had arrived few minutes before midnight. The butler, Johari, was in front of them leading them to the king's throne room.

They stopped at a large open door with two guards at both sides. The guards crossed their spears to stop them, "They are the king's guests, from Thurtian" Johari said and the guards eyed the prince and his valet, before they granted them passage.

They stepped into a bright, large room, with golden pillars supporting the upper rooms. The floor was made of polished red marble, which had a red carpet in the middle, leading to the thrones. On the ceiling was a dark blue mural of leaves and flowers, and it made Sorin think of his brother who loved flowers. There was also a big golden chandelier on the ceiling, illuminating the room. The wall lights were dimmed to let the chandelier be the main light source.

At the thrones, there were two golden statues of jaguars holding a golden ball, and on the wall behind the chairs was the kingdom's emblem; the three headed golden jaguar. Guire had so much gold that ot was nicknamed the kingdom of gold.

Johari bowed, "The crown prince of Thurtian and his valet" he said and Sorin and Julian bowed to the king who was on the bigger chair.

The king, Zyair was a huge man with pale skin and shoulder-length platinum hair, with aqua blue eyes. He had thin lips and was growing a stubble, and also had a small nose.

"You took longer than expected, Prince Sorin," came Zyair's deep voice. Sorin looked up, "I apologize, one of my servants had bowel issues. I could not leave him behind and so we had to stop whenever he needed to relieve himself."

Zyair stroked his stubble, "Hmm...you are a considerate man," he said and his eyes moved to Julian who still had his head bowed. "Is that the servant who had bowel issues?" he asked and Sorin looked at Julian, "Yes, your majesty."

Why not say I had breathing issues too? Julian shook his head as he thought of the times his breathing had ceased anytime he had remembered Soteria's threat.

"Well, you must be tired from your journey, we shall discuss tomorrow" Zyair said and turned to Johari, "Escort the prince and his valet to their chambers" he ordered. "Yes, your majesty" Johari said and raised his head up.

The three of them bowed and went out.

Sea-green eyes followed Sorin as he walked out of the throne room. Is that him? the princess thought.